


Down the Rabbit Hole

by Whilhelmina_Prince



Series: The Rabbit Hole [1]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 10:38:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8010397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whilhelmina_Prince/pseuds/Whilhelmina_Prince
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhett experiences another version of himself living a different life where he and Link have a very different relationship. But as the very fabric of the multiverse begins to crack, so does Rhett's sanity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Down the Rabbit Hole begins during the filming of GMM 970 (Chicken Noodle Soup Bath).

Chapter 1

The song had been perfect: one guitar, a soulful harmony, and their distinct voices. Add in their trademark humor, and he knew it was an instant hit. A superb way to begin this particular adventure. 

Rhett climbed into the tub of chicken noodle soup, nerve endings throughout the length of his body awakening to the strange sensations. The broth was warm and smelled delicious, but the feeling of the slippery noodles beneath him was both intriguing and a bit disturbing. But that was the kind of thing he and Link did on their show, Good Mythical Morning. He laughed it off and eased in, making room for his partner. 

Link joined him, their legs touching slightly as he settled into the metal tub, both of them laughing at the absurdity of the situation as they began the segment.

“Grab some noodles, but grab noodles, not noodle.” Rhett smirked at his friend as he made the joke, giving in to the comfortable place he and Link had found somewhere along the way. Neither of them acknowledged it openly, or could pinpoint exactly when it happened, but sometime, especially in the last year, they had slipped into this place of innuendo and flirtation, of almost too long gazes and eyebrow raises to the camera. Rhett didn’t know what Link really thought about it. Perhaps he took it as part of the act, something the fans reacted positively to, which they certainly did, but Rhett liked to think it was just another layer of their friendship, a place where they could acknowledge the unique nature of their relationship. Even after 30 years, their relationship was constantly evolving. This was just the next step.

And they always walked off set just as good of friends as they had always been, if not better. After all, if they could sit together in tiny shorts in a tiny tub, they could surely joke with each other in this new way.

After a few minutes, a bite of noodles each, a can of soda, and a strange reading from a book, Link proposed they submerge in the soup, something they had done with nearly every bath-related video they had made.

“I’mma turn sideways for this,” Link said, holding back a giggle, as Rhett sank down further into the salty broth. Link leaned his toned arms on Rhett’s long leg, the intimacy of the gesture belying his need to avoid such contact with his friend.

Rhett placed the book between them, joking about creating a barrier, and ducked his head into the golden liquid.

As his head went under, he felt something wholly unexpected. Link’s hand moved to Rhett’s knee, and traveled slowly down the inside of his leg, past where it too was submerged. The hand was slow, but purposeful, and stopped just before the border of leg and elsewhere, squeezing ever so gently, sending a rippling chill through Rhett’s core..

Rhett opened his mouth to yell before remembering where he was, and took in a mouthful of broth, nearly choking on it. He emerged with his face covered in noodles and bits of chicken skin, too stunned for a moment to say anything. 

But as he opened his eyes and commented on the salty taste in his mouth, he noticed that Link had not moved. Link’s arms rested exactly where they had been.

He dumbly commented again on the salt, not knowing what else to say. Had he imagined that touch? Did he mistake a floating noodle for Link’s strong hand?

Maybe.

That seemed impossible, though. Surely, he knew the difference between an overcooked noodle floating randomly through the broth and a hand deliberately tracing its way down his leg.

But they were still filming, so Rhett quickly dismissed the idea entirely and continued on as if nothing had happened. He was a performer, after all, and he had to keep going.

Yet, his mind wandered again when Link emerged and declared, with a look on his face that wasn’t quite familiar, that the bath had been “weird, a lot bit” and practically begged to get out. Rhett’s own face went nearly blank for a moment as he tried to process it.

Had Link in fact touched him and was now regretting it? Had it been a joke gone awry? 

As Link bounced off giddily to take a shower, Rhett remained for a few minutes, still working those few short minutes through his mind, trying to make sense of it. After enough time had passed, he went into the studio so he could shower, moving silently, knowing the crew was wondering what was wrong with him. He was never that quiet during filming.

The water was still running as Rhett entered their private office and approached the bathroom door, so he knocked hard and called “Hey, man, hurry it up! I’m gross!”

Link’s reply was muffled by the sound of the water. “I’ll just leave the water running. Come on in.”

Rhett involuntarily raised an eyebrow. But, this wasn’t entirely weird, either. Their shower was notorious for taking an eternity for the water to get hot enough, so leaving it on made sense. Sometimes after a particularly messy filming session, one of them would shower and then robe up, leaving the water running for the other. 

But it usually involved the first leaving the bathroom before the second entered. 

He shrugged. Maybe he was overthinking things. It had been a long couple of weeks getting back into the habits of their daily show after working on other projects all summer, and he was exhausted. His brain always went to strange places when he was tired. 

“All right, I’m comin’ in,” he said, turning the doorknob and entering the steamy room. He could just make out Link’s lean silhouette through the misty shower door. 

“You’re still in there?”

“Yeah.” Rhett heard a hesitant pause. “I kinda need help.”

Rhett almost doubled over laughing, his booming belly laugh echoing in the small tiled room. “What on earth do you need help with?”

Link sighed. Rhett knew that sigh, the sigh of Link’s embarrassment.

Rhett stifled his laugh, not wanting to hurt Link’s feelings. “Seriously, man, what do you need help with?” 

“Noodles,” he finally said. “I can feel them in my hair and I can’t get them out. Help a brother out?” In those two sentences, his voice modulated between resignation and an old, comfortable ease.

“So, you want me to get in there with you?”

“Oh, just get in here!” Link pleaded, the joke still wavering on his tongue. “It’s not like you’ve never seen it!”

That was true. They’d been college roommates and had seen each other in various states of undress many times over the years. But not in such intimate circumstances.

“Okay, okay, I’m coming.” 

Link stepped closer to the showerhead, making room for Rhett. The room was never designed to have a shower in it, and the stall was too narrow and far too short. Rhett could only use it because they’d gotten a showerhead with a hose so you could remove it as needed. Two men in a tub was one thing, but two men, especially one of Rhett’s size, in this shower, was something else entirely. There was barely room to move without their bodies colliding.

Without turning around, Link handed Rhett a bottle of shampoo. “Here. See what you can do,” he said flatly.

Looking down, Rhett could see the tiny bits of noodle contrasting against Link’s shiny black hair. It was no wonder he was having trouble. The noodles had practically disintegrated in the bath and when Link had run his hands through his hair afterwards, all he had done was smash the remnants further into the strands.

Rhett poured a significant amount of shampoo into his hand and then handed the bottle back to Link. He worked up a lather and began working his big hands into Link’s head. He could feel the soft bits of noodle caked onto Link’s scalp and used his fingernails to work them out. 

As Rhett worked, he thought he heard deep sighs from Link, but it was hard to tell over the sound of the water. But he could see Link’s shoulders relax as the tension he held there loosened. 

After much scrubbing, Rhett reached his arm over Link’s head and took the showerhead down. With one hand, he rinsed, and with the other, carefully checked to make sure every last bit of noodle had been washed away. When he was sure, he replaced the showerhead.

“Done,” he said. 

It was only then that Link turned around, the water running in rivers down his lean body. “Thanks,” he said, looking up at Rhett with his big, crystal blue eyes.

Rhett tried to take a step back, but found there was nowhere to go. 

“No ... problem.”

But there was a problem. Link should have said thanks and exited without looking at him, the entire incident going to the secret file of their memories, never to be acknowledged. But he hadn’t. And now he was staring up at Rhett, their skin separated by mere centimeters. And those eyes … what was that look?

“I mean it,” Link said, his voice soft and breathy, barely audible over the flow of the water. He placed his hands on Rhett’s waist, gently running them down his hips.

Rhett’s mind whirled and his body tightened with feelings he couldn’t understand. His body acted on its own, as if temporarily controlled by someone else. But there was nothing foreign about the action he took, either. It felt right in a way Rhett could not explain, even to himself. He cupped Link’s face with his hands and bent down, kissing him hard on the lips. 

Link immediately reacted, pushing his tongue into Rhett’s mouth with greed. Link’s arms leapt around Rhett’s neck, pushing his body down. Their hips collided, with only the thin fabric of Rhett’s shorts between them. 

“Oh god,” Rhett whispered into Link’s mouth. But he didn’t pull away. Acting on pure instinct, he took Link by the shoulders and pressed him into the wall, kissing him the whole time. He let his tongue taste Link, the saltiness of his own mouth mingling with Link’s minty toothpaste, because of course, Link had brushed his teeth immediately after leaving the set.

Rhett took his hands from Link’s shoulders just long enough to push his shorts down, stepping deftly out of them and kicking them to the side. He grabbed Link’s slender hips and pulled them upward, pressing their bodies together. His length hardened as he felt Link’s desire against his lower abdomen. 

“Rhett,” the shorter man moaned. He stretched short e sound into two syllables, letting his southern accent take over. That drawl, that sound of home, pulled Rhett even closer, because Link only let his guard down enough to let his southern boy out when he was truly at ease, truly himself. That was a rare gift. Too often, he was all too anxious and analytical to let out the sweet and hilarious man Rhett had come to know as his best friend. Instead, Link often came across as impulse, awkward, and flighty. Few people other than Rhett knew this version of Link.

But here he was, moaning Rhett’s name, and Rhett moaned Link’s name back. He rolled Link’s hips into his own rhythmically, both of their bodies tight with the energy that roiled between them. Rhett grabbed Link’s thigh, pulling it over his hip, and ground his body hard into Link.

At last, Rhett felt himself twitch and tense, and he knew he couldn’t hold back. “Link, I …”

“Yes,” Link said, standing on his toes, his breath tickling Rhett’s ear. The whisper only deepened Rhett’s need. 

Rhett braced himself against the wall with one hand, and curled his other arm around Link’s waist, pulling him so close as to become one flesh with the man he had befriended so long ago. It was Link who came first, biting into Rhett’s shoulder to muffle the scream as his body shuddered with the ecstasy. The bite drove Rhett to near madness, and he pulled Link in even tighter, if that was possible, as his own body trembled and quaked.

When it was over, he took Link’s face in his hands and kissed him gingerly; it was a sweet kiss, full of devotion for the man who occupied such a massive space in Rhett’s life. Delirium spread through his body as he continued to feel the aftershocks. He’d been married over a decade, but never had he experienced a high quite like this. He couldn’t form words, so the kiss would have to speak for him.

Barely able to stand, he reluctantly backed away, resting against the other wall, breathing heavily and closing his eyes.

When he opened them, Link was gone. And with him, all evidence that anything had occurred between them at all.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When the cameras were off, and both men had dressed, Rhett knew he had to say something. All through the rest of the filming, he felt hot and dizzy. His world was upside down, and he didn’t know what to say or do or how to act. 

Yet, Link didn’t appear bothered at all. He wasn’t awkward or embarrassed, and the flush that was only hidden by Rhett’s beard didn’t touch Link’s paler face. The tension, the pull, that Rhett now felt between them, was nonexistent to his friend and partner.

“Lunch?” Link asked, on a tight grey t-shirt.

Rhett looked up from the couch after tying his shoes. “I guess. I’m not really all that hungry. But yeah, we should eat, I guess.”

“What are you in the mood for?”

Rhett shrugged. He wasn’t in the mood for anything. He was too confused, his brain too exhausted, his body still on fire. 

Link tilted his head at Rhett, his eyebrows furrowed. “Something wrong?”

Rhett groaned, and then coughed to cover it up. They needed to talk. He needed to say something. But what? 

“You okay, man?”

Rhett shook his head. “I guess I’m not feeling all that well,” he finally said, unable to scrounge up the courage he desperately needed.

Link knelt in front of Rhett and pressed his palm against his forehead, playing the role of dad that he played so well in real life. “You are kinda hot,” he said quietly.

Rhett recoiled at Link’s proximity and potential double entendre. 

“I think I should take you home,” Link said, still staring at Rhett with worried eyes. 

“But we’re supposed to work on the new material this afternoon.”

“I don’t think you’re going to be doing anything today. Come on,” Link said, extending his hand to help his friend to his feet. 

Rhett ignored Link’s hand, standing on his own and walked out, through the office and the studio, and into the parking lot.

“Oh hell, man, we drove separately today,” Rhett said. “I’ll just drive myself. I’m fine.”

“You are not,” Link said sincerely. “You’re either coming down with something, or that chicken was contaminated. You’re in no shape to drive. I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning. No biggee.”

Link shrugged it off. It was, indeed, no big deal. 

Unable to argue, Rhett got into the passenger seat and reclined back. It wasn’t from any bad chicken, but his stomach was doing somersaults.

Link drove in silence, looking over at his friend from time to time. But Rhett only stared forward, waiting for the drive to be over, wondering what to say.

When the car stopped in front of Rhett’s house, he unbuckled and started to open the door. But before he got out, he dug deep inside and found a kernel of courage residing somewhere in his guts.

“Link, about the shower …”

Link let out a huge sigh. “It’s clogged again, isn’t it? Damn noodles. I was afraid of that. Guess I’ll spend this afternoon calling plumbers.”

“What?”

Link shook his head. “I thought it was draining slowly when I turned the water off, but I ignored it. I’m guessing it was doing the same for you?”

Rhett felt the deep crease forming between his eyes. Link hadn’t turned off the water. They’d been in together, and and it was Rhett who had turned it off after … after. 

“Link, what are you talking about?”

“We shoulda hired a better guy to install that thing. The pipes are so small. You run anything down that thing besides soap and water and the whole thing clogs. I’d say we should have it redone, but it’s so expensive.”

Rhett continued to stare, not believing what he was hearing. This wasn’t Link trying to brush off something he didn’t want to confront. Link genuinely believed that Rhett was talking about a clogged drain. And Link was not a good enough liar to pull this off.

“Right,” he said at last. “Yeah, get a plumber.”

“And you get some rest,” Link said, patting Rhett’s shoulder. 

Rhett exited the car, shutting the door with more force than he intended. Link waited until Rhett was inside the house to drive away, watching him shuffle up the walkway, as if expecting him to keel over at any moment. 

But Rhett didn’t keel over until he was safe inside the house and in the bathroom. His stomach revolted and he retched over and over into the toilet.

Maybe it was bad chicken. But could food poisoning cause hallucinations like that? Ones that real? He could still taste Link’s mouth. He could still smell his hair. His body still ached from the gratification he had experienced writhing against Link’s wet body. 

Rhett quickly stood up and whipped off his shirt, staring into the mirror over the sink. On his left shoulder, there was a red circular mark. He touched it, and felt the pain. 

That was real. It had to be real.

Rhett shook his head. “I’ve gotta get some sleep,” he said to himself in the mirror, frowning deeply. He started to turn away, but out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw his reflection smirk back at him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Wake up, sleepyhead …”

Rhett felt the hand wrapped around him, pumping slowly and firmly, bringing him to full attention. Without opening his eyes, he moaned with pleasure and bucked his hips, lusting for more.

“Shhhh,” came the whisper, as a second hand pressed down on his hips, slowing his movements. And then lips touched him, kissed him lightly, and enveloped him with a wet heat. A tongue caressed his length, and Rhett let out a wordless groan, his whole body wracked with desire. 

Slowly, painfully, the mouth withdrew, and kisses were planted Rhett’s inner thigh. Soft kisses that scratched his tender skin. 

Scratched?

Rhett’s eyes flew open, just in time to see Link’s head descend again, his strong shoulders in full, perfect view. 

He groaned again, unable to help himself, and his mind began to whirl. What was going on? What time was it? All he remembered was puking and then climbing into bed fully clothed in the early afternoon. Only a trickle of light came in from the east-facing window, and he had not a scrap of clothing on him.

“Link,” he started to say, wanting to ask him something, needing some kind of answer.

“Don’t talk,” Link whispered. “This morning is just for you.”

Link’s hand joined in again while his velvet mouth worked Rhett into a frenzy. When he couldn’t take it anymore, when waiting was too painful to contemplate, Rhett grabbed Link’s hair and pushed him down, sinking deeper and deeper. He throbbed and pulsed as he felt Link’s throat closing around him, taking every drop into himself.

At last, Link emerged, gleaming with sweat, a huge crooked grin dancing across his face. “You relax,” he whispered, planting a soft kiss at the corner of Rhett’s mouth. “I’m going to take a shower and then make us some coffee.”

Rhett reached out with his long arms and pulled Link down onto his body, holding him hostage by the waist, his tongue fighting its way into Link’s mouth. He felt Link harden, but Link pulled away. “Like I said, just for you,” he said. But Rhett didn’t let him leave, gazing longingly into Link’s blue eyes. Link wasn’t strong enough to escape Rhett’s grasp.

“Why have we never done this before?” 

Link raised an eyebrow, and then shrugged. “Because you usually wake up first,” he said.

The reply was strange enough that Rhett forgot to hold on, letting Link escape. But even stranger was Rhett’s wanton desire for more.

Link strode away, heading into the bathroom. Rhett heard the water turn on as Link got into the shower to clean up.

Rhett rubbed his hands through his hair. “Because you usually wake up first?” Usually? What did that mean? And why did he ask Link why they’d never done it before? Why did he want this? Afterall, he was straight. And a married man.

Jessie. 

All of the confusing feelings were overtaken by panic. Where was Jessie? Where were the kids? Why was Link in Rhett’s bedroom? What if Jessie found out? 

Rhett sat up and pulled his knees to his chest. He rocked back and forth, terrified. He had done something very, very wrong. But … something felt out of place about the whole thing. This couldn’t be real. It didn’t make sense.

The door opened, and Rhett’s head shot up. “Link, we …”

“Link?” Jessie, dripping and clad only in a white towel, her dark hair flowing in wet streams over one shoulder, emerged from the bathroom. “Honey, I know you just woke up, but I think you know the difference between your best friend and your wife.”

Rhett’s mouth gaped open. “I just … I must have drifted back to sleep. Had one of those weird dreams where you aren’t quite asleep, not quite awake, you know? Thought I was somewhere else for a second.”

Jessie cocked her head. She didn’t believe him. Not at all. “I guess so,” she said. “Are you feeling better?”

Rhett hesitated. He was not feeling better at all. Physically, maybe, but something inside his brain seemed to be splitting apart. “I’m losing it,” he mumbled, his hands going to his face, trying to confirm that he was real at all.

“What’s that?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said. “I’m better.”

“Good. You looked terrible last night.”

“I … I did?”

Jessie nodded. “Yeah, when I got home, you were still in your clothes. I woke you up, got you to take a shower, and then you went back to bed. You’ve been out ever since. Don’t you remember?”

Rhett shook his head. “Guess not.”

“Link texted me,” she continued “He said he thought you might have food poisoning.”

“Yeah, the uh, the chicken.”

Jessie rolled her eyes. “Two grown men. In a bathtub. With a chicken. Ridiculous.”

“Hey, it pays for this house, so you better appreciate it.” Rhett’s smile returned. This was normal. This was his life.This made sense.

Jessie walked over and kissed Rhett’s forehead. “You know I do. Now get dressed and have some coffee. Link is picking you up soon.”

“It had to be a dream,” Rhett thought to himself as he got into Link’s car a short time later.

But that couldn’t be all there was to it. He had checked again in the mirror this morning, and the red mark on his shoulder had begun to turn purple. His thighs still burned from Link’s unshaven face. That was real. Very real. 

And the way his body reacted to seeing Link in that dark purple t-shirt was also very, very real.

“God, what is wrong with me?”

Link shifted the car into park. They had arrived at the studio. “Well, is that a list you really want me to start?” Link smiled, his eyebrow peeking out above the rim of his glasses. 

Rhett frowned. 

“You sure you’re feeling okay?” Link asked. “If you’re still under the weather, we can take a day off shooting.”

Rhett shook his head. “I’m fine,” he said. “Just forgot some … some notes at home.”

“Need me to go back?”

“Nah, it’s fine. Nothing I needed for today. Just … just can’t get my brain working today.”

“I know the feeling, brotha,” Link said, laughing.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

They only shot one episode that morning, though they had planned to shoot at least two. When the first finished, it was Link who suggested they take a break and work in the office for a while.

“Why?” Rhett asked. 

“It’s just not …”

Rhett’s head sank. He knew the answer. “It was bad, wasn’t it?”

Link sucked in a sharp breath. “It wasn’t bad,” he said slowly. “Just … not your best. I still think you should just get some rest.”

“No,” Rhett insisted. “We’re going to get behind. We can stop shooting for now, but we’re going to work this morning, and then film this afternoon.”

“That okay with ya’ll?” Link called to the crew. 

They all nodded and mumbled a yes. It wasn’t unusual for their schedules to be changed like that. They would all be working either way; it just meant working on their other duties for a while. 

“Come on, then,” Link said, shooing Rhett toward their office.

Link settled into his desk chair, but Rhett collapsed onto the couch, his legs jutting out at angles. He rested his elbows on his knees and linked his hands together on the back of his head, eyes staring down to the floor. Link rolled over and ducked down, trying to meet Rhett’s eyes.

“All right, brotha. Talk.”

“About what?” Rhett asked, not moving from his position.

“Whatever is going on with you,” Link said. “Listen, I know you better than this. You’re not sick. Something’s bothering you, and whatever it is, it’s big.”

Rhett sighed, but couldn’t find the words. After a long moment, he felt Link’s hand on his shoulder. His fingers brushed just over the spot where the bruise was turning even more purple. Rhett winced almost imperceptibly, but not with pain. 

“You can tell me anything.”

“I know.”

Rhett sat up, but then laid down on his back, stretching himself out on the couch, his legs hanging far over the end. He put one hand behind his head and let the other dangle to the floor.

“Have you ever had an experience you couldn’t explain?” He looked to Link, his eyes pleading for something to make sense.

“What do you mean?” Link rolled the chair closer to Rhett’s head. He crossed his legs and steepled his fingers. For a moment, it seemed as if Rhett was a patient seeking help from wise psychiatrist. 

“Like … something happens that doesn’t make sense, doesn’t fit your sense of, of reality, but it was real?”

Link frowned. “I don’t understand.” 

Rhett thought for a moment. “Pretend you woke up in your house, in your bed, and somebody else was there with you, in your bed.”

“Somebody else who?”

“Just … somebody else.” Rhett felt the blood rushing to his cheeks, so he stood up and started pacing so he wouldn’t have to face Link.

“Rhett, what are you talking about? You mean literally? Are you … are you cheating on …” A look for horror filled Link’s face.

“No!” Rhett practically screamed. “God, no. I would never!” 

But … hadn’t he? He didn’t even know. It hadn’t seemed like it in the moment. Not until after.

“So what the hell are you trying to tell me?”

“Gah!” Rhett growled, running his hands through his hair, sending blonde locks in every direction. “I don’t know. Forget about that. It was just an example. I mean like, what if you all of a sudden you were living a different life, but then it disappeared, and you went back to normal?”

Link frowned again, his face contorting with deep thought. “Are you saying that happened to you? You woke up and it wasn’t your life?”

Rhett leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “Something like that. Kind of.”

Link leaned forward again. His eyes looked Rhett up and down. Then he leaned back and crossed his arms, one hand moving over the stubble along his jawline. Rhett felt a twitch as his body remembered the feel of that stubble. 

“I think,” Link began, “that you had a dream. A really realistic dream.”

“Yeah,” Rhett said, shaking his head. “Maybe.”

“But it’s got you shook up.”

Rhett nodded. 

Link stood up and approached his friend and put his hand on Rhett’s shoulder. “Listen. I get it. You’re exhausted. We’ve been working like crazy. Whatever it is you dreamed, no matter how real it was, it was just a dream.”

“You’re probably right,” he said, not willing to look Link in the eyes. 

Link sighed. Rhett knew that sigh, too. That sigh meant Link knew Rhett was holding back. 

“Tell you what. I’m going to go grab us some lunch. You get your ass back on the couch and take a nap.”

Rhett nodded again, still refusing to face Link. He walked back to the couch, his shoulders slumped in defeat, his body feeling very small.

“Chinese?” Link asked. 

“Yeah,” Rhett agreed, laying down and curling up on his side. 

“Sleep,” Link said, as he began to exit the office. “Please.”

The door closed, and Rhett closed his eyes. He must have fallen asleep immediately, because it seemed like only a second later when he heard the studio door slam shut and the smell of Kung Pao chicken wafted back into the office. 

He sat up, yawned, and rubbed his eyes.

“Sorry I took so long,” Link said as he entered the office carrying the big bag of food. “I stopped home to let the dogs out. It took them forever to get done.”

“Dogs?” Rhett asked. He and Link each had just one dog, and their wives were both home to let them out.

Link laughed. “Yeah, you know, our dogs? Barbara and Jade?”

“Well, yeah, but …”

Link looked at Rhett with puzzlement. “Rhett, I always go home at lunch to let the dogs out.”

He turned around and starting pulling food out of the bags and placing the cartons on the table.

“Oh my god, it’s happening again,” Rhett mumbled under his breath. 

“What’s happening again? You have another weird dream?”

Rhett looked up and cocked his head. 

“You didn’t dream about waking up with some woman in your bed again, did you?” Link quirked a weird smile. “Listen, don’t worry about it. It’s just some weird unnecessary guilt thing. Your family doesn’t care. My family doesn’t care. Now come get some food.”

That’s when Rhett noticed that Link wasn’t wearing his wedding ring. He was wearing a ring, but not the gold one he was used to seeing. It was a thick, brushed silver ring that looked sturdy and strong, but beautiful, like Link. Rhett glanced to his own hand, his grey eyes widening as he saw that his ring was also different. It was black, with two thick strips of a dark wooden inlay. Rhett had never seen anything like it. It was stunning. And perfect.

Married? To Link?

“Yeah, lunch.” Rhett joined Link at the table, and they ate in relative silence. When they were together, they were never quiet. Not out of some obligation to fill an awkward silence, but because there was always something to say. Whether talking about work, or a new documentary Rhett was obsessed with, or some new idea of Link’s, there was always something to say. 

But not today. Rhett was too busy trying to put together all the puzzle pieces that lay strewn out before him. He had been able to turn over a few, even join a few together, but there were pieces missing, and pieces with no color, and he couldn’t find a single edge piece. It was all too big. 

Link finished eating first, and started throwing out his empty containers. Then all at once, Link’s arms were around Rhett’s shoulders and he was planting kisses on the side of Rhett’s neck. “I know it’s still bothering you. But don’t worry about it. I’m here. You’re here. We’re happy. That’s all that matters. You gotta let those dreams go.”

Rhett tilted his head back and let it rest on Link’s chest. He could feel Link’s heart beat, pounding in a steady rhythm, as solid and steadfast as Link had always been for him. This did feel right. Didn’t it?

“Yeah,” Rhett said, relaxing into Link’s body. “We’re happy.”

Rhett suddenly stood and scooped Link up in his arms. He kissed him on the forehead, and Link’s body curled around him. 

“There’s a favor I need to return,” Rhett murmured into Link’s ear.

Link groaned, and Rhett carried him to the couch. Slowly, deliberately, he set Link down and knelt before him. With care and ease, never breaking eye contact, Rhett unzipped the lean man’s jeans, and Link sprang to attention. Rhett leaned in, licking hungrily. 

A moan escaped Link’s mouth as Rhett took him in fully, and Rhett felt himself desiring more. But more so, he wanted to hear more of Link’s pleasure. He used his hands, his lips, and his tongue, and every movement evoked louder and louder sounds of ecstasy. 

When he knew Link was nearly there, Rhett got up on his knees and kissed Link, continuing to use his hand to keep Link just on the brink. “I love you,” Rhett whispered, meaning it in every sense of the phrase. 

“I love you, too,” Link whispered, but his words were interrupted by another groan. Rhett quickly returned to his previous position, and let Link pour his soul into his mouth. Rhett was nearly there himself, just from the sounds Link was making. 

“That was perfect,” Link said, breathing heavily. 

“You’re perfect,” Rhett said, leaning his head on Link’s thigh. And he meant it. 

Link leaned his head back against the couch. “Ugh, we have to get ready. We’re filming in 10 minutes.”

“Do we have to?” Rhett pleaded. He wanted to stay right there and let the moment last. He was afraid that as soon as Link was out of his sight, it would be over. And even though he didn’t understand it, he didn’t want this to end. He loved his wife, was in love with her, but this? This was something more, something stronger, something undeniable. Link had been there his entire life, had always been a part of him, and whatever this was felt more right than anything he had ever known. He didn’t want it to slip away. 

Link sunk to the floor and returned Rhett’s kiss. They knelt in front of each other, their hands interlocking, their bodies pressed together. 

“I have to go clean up,” Link said.

“Don’t go.”

“I have to.” But Rhett could hear that Link wanted to stay as badly as he did. 

“Please …”

Link smiled and stood, kissing the top of Rhett’s head. “It’s only a few more hours. Then we can go home, and it’s just you and me.”

But Rhett knew it wouldn’t be. 

A few minutes later, Link emerged from the bathroom. “You ready?”

“Yeah, just let me brush my teeth.”

When Rhett reached for his toothbrush, he noticed that his gold ring was back on his finger. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he found himself on the floor, rocking back and forth, praying to any god who was listening to make it all stop.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

“We’re going camping.”

“What?”

Rhett was just getting ready to go home for the evening. They’d filmed another two episodes, and they had gone well, despite his emotionally fragile state. Somehow, he’d managed to compartmentalize it all and forget everything that was happening long enough to get it done. They were good episodes. 

“I talked to Jessie and Christy,” Link said. “I told them you needed some down time, and they’re cool with it. So we’re leaving tomorrow morning.”

Rhett’s brow furrowed. “Where are we going?”

“Don’t you worry about that,” Link said with a twinkle in his eye. “I’m planning it. You’re just along for the ride.”

“You sure?”

Link nodded. “Yes,” he said emphatically. “You need to relax. You’re all tense. You need this.”

Rhett agreed hesitantly and prepared himself to leave. “So I’ll see you in the morning?”

“Bright and early!” Link said, a smile growing on his face. 

Rhett had to hold himself back from moving toward his friend and planting a kiss on his cheek. Every muscle in his body wanted to, but the ring on his finger told him he couldn’t. Whatever was happening, whether it was a hallucination or some kind of strange dream, he had at least figured out that one clue. As much as he might want to, it wasn’t the right time. Or the right place. Or the right … reality.

He didn’t go straight home. He drove around aimlessly, blasting music as loud as the stereo would play it. He couldn’t think. Didn’t want to think. But he didn’t want to go home and face Jessie, either. He loved her, but right now, at this moment, he couldn’t be who she needed him to be. Not when everything told him to go find Link and give himself to him again and again.

He found himself walking in a park, miles from home, when he received a text from Jessie, asking where he was. He didn’t immediately reply, unsure how to explain his absence.

“Just getting some fresh air,” he finally texted back.

“You OK?” she replied.

He wasn’t. And even though it was only five letters, he knew that Jessie was worried. Link must have told her that something was wrong. 

“Yeah. Just need to clear my head.”

He walked and walked, trying to force himself to think about anything else. About cults and conspiracies, about alien abductions, or about the last documentary he’d watched, the topic of which he couldn’t remember for the life of him.

But all he could think about was Link’s face. His lips. His shoulders. The way his waist nipped in at the perfect spot. The way his hips felt pressed against his own. The raw truth in his crystalline eyes when he’d said “I love you.”

It was no use. He couldn’t escape it.

When he finally decided to go home, the kids were already in bed, and Jessie was in bed reading. 

“You were out late,” she said, closing her book. He eyes were big and open, filled with a concern he rarely saw there. Rhett was strong, steadfast. Jessie never had to worry.

“It was a long day,” Rhett said. “I just needed to unwind.”

“I know,” Jessie said. “Link said you were acting strangely.”

Rhett shrugged and then took off his shirt. It was soaked with sweat. “Yeah. We’ve been working a lot. Just feelin’ the stress.”

Jessie nodded knowingly. “I know, babe. Come to bed.”

Rhett undressed and crawled into the bed, spooning his body around his wife. This was the woman he had loved for over a decade. And he still loved her. But this wasn’t where he wanted to be. 

Jessie soon fell asleep. Rhett stayed awake for hours, silent tears streaming down his face.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The tent was up, and Link had packed backpacks for both of them.

“Let’s head out,” he said, handing Rhett a pack filled with snacks and water. 

The location was perfect. It was shaded on three sides by trees, but they would have a perfect view of the sunset when evening set in. If Link hadn’t been wearing his gold ring, Rhett would have suspected he had a romantic evening planned. But both of them bore the signs of matrimony with their wives. 

They headed out into the woods, miles and miles from home, from the reality holding them back. Rhett hadn’t paid attention on the drive. Link had told him not to, and Rhett couldn’t focus on that anyway. He was too conscious of his proximity to Link, how close their legs were, and how close Link’s hand was to his knee every time he shifted gears. 

They hiked a long time, among green trees and along isolated paths through the forest. Somehow, just being near Link calmed Rhett, and his mind was at ease. He listened to the birds and felt the wind blow through his hair. Nothing could ruin this. Even if Link was just his friend, his oldest and closest friend, it was still as perfect of a day as it could be.

After what seemed like hours, Rhett began to hear the roar of water and the air felt different. The hike had made him thirsty, and the sound of water rushing over rocks reminded him that he hadn’t bothered to drink any of the water Link had thoughtfully packed. He took out a bottle and took a long, refreshing drink. It soothed his dry throat.

“Just a little bit further,” Link said. It was the first time he’d spoken, that either of them had spoken, since they’d set out. Link seemed to understand Rhett’s need to just exist in that place. 

Rhett knew he could wait. He followed Link, and soon, he found that Link had led them to a lush oasis. A waterfall poured into a deep lagoon of clear water, and the entire area was sunken, hidden by trees, vines, and rocks. 

“What is this place?” he said aloud with wonderment.

“Paradise,” was the only response given.

Rhett didn’t hesitate. He dropped his backpack on the ground and stripped off all of his clothes. 

Without warning, he ran for the water and dove in, kicking his legs to sink as deep as he could, hoping and praying that when he rose up, the world around him would change. He forced his body to stay down and opened his eyes, looking up. There he saw the trees and the sky, the same color as Link’s eyes, distorted through the ripples on the surface of the water. 

When he finally had to come up, he rose slowly, letting his body rise. He floated onto his back and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to know. He could live in this moment, in the in-between, his body cushioned by the water, his mind cushioned by ignorance.

A pair of arms wound under his arms, and a pair of lips danced across his cheek, just above the line of his beard. It was bushier than normal, as he hadn’t bothered to trim it in days. 

“Hmm, rustic,” Link whispered, rubbing his face against Rhett’s. 

“And you love it,” Rhett said, finally opening his eyes. 

He moved his body, turning so he and Link were face to face. Link automatically looped his arms around Rhett’s neck, and Rhett took Link by the waist and let him wrap his legs around him. He was so light, and especially so in the water. They were both naked, their bare bodies touching, but Rhett wasn’t aroused at that moment. He was simply in awe of the love he had for this man.

“Thanks for making me come out here.”

Link shrugged, as if it were nothing. “You needed it. We needed it.” 

“I did,” Rhett said. He let their foreheads come together and closed his eyes. “I wish we could just stay here in this moment.”

“We can,” Link said. “For as long as you want.”

They kissed. It was a long kiss, slow and sweet, imbued with all the depth of their love. Rhett let his hands roam across the lean muscles of Link’s back, while Link sunk his hands deep into Rhett’s thick hair.

They moved toward the shore and Rhett found a large flat rock, big enough for them to both stretch out. The laid down side-by-side, their hands entangled. 

Soon, they fell into the types of conversations they always had, in any version of their life. Deep conversations, veering this direction and that, going off on meandering tangents. It was everything Rhett loved about his friendship with Link, but with the added pleasure of this new bond. Link’s hand in his gave Rhett a comfort he had never known before, grounding him, giving him roots he had never known he was missing. 

Still undressed, they ate the lunch Link had packed. It didn’t cross either of their minds that this might be strange or that someone might stumble upon them. This was their private utopia. No one would disturb them here.

As the afternoon dragged on, they swam again, splashing each other and laughing as Rhett lifted Link above his head and threw him into the water. Link hilariously failed at throwing the much larger man. But soon, the air began to cool, and they both knew they needed to start back to camp if they wanted to get back before dark.

They dressed and handed back. They had hiked to the spot with Link leading and Rhett following. But on the way back, they walked hand in hand.

Upon their return, Rhett started a campfire. They cooked dinner and ate, and then sat together watching the sunset, Link’s head on Rhett’s shoulder.

“This was a perfect day,” Rhett said, lightly kissing the top of Link’s head. Their time together had always been so short before. They’d had almost the whole day together, and Rhett wanted to hold onto it as long as possible. He didn’t let Link out of his sight.

“I shoulda brought your guitar so you could sing to me,” Link said, snuggling in closer. 

Rhett thought for a moment, and then began to sing. It was an old southern song, something his grandmother used to sing. The lyrics spoke of the purity of love, of unending devotion. Link didn’t know the words, but he hummed along, creating a harmony more lovely and full of truth than any they had ever sung before. 

As the song ended, the sun dipped behind the horizon, and the sky turned pink, and then purple, and finally black. They gazed at the stars for a while, until both of them began to drift off. 

“Let’s go to bed,” Rhett whispered to a drowsy Link.

Link nodded, and Rhett helped him to his feet. They crawled into the tent but laid on top of their sleeping bags. It was still too hot to need them for warmth. They both stripped to just underwear, and Rhett covered them with a light blanket. 

“Come here,” he said, pulling Link to his chest, his large body curving perfectly around him. Link pressed into him, both of them craving the closeness. Link held onto the hand that curved around his chest, and their legs tangled together. 

Just before falling asleep, Rhett placed a single kiss on Link’s shoulder, lingering as long as he could. “Please be here in the morning,” he whispered. 

Link was already asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 

Rhett awoke, his body ready for everything they hadn’t done the previous day. The day had been perfect, and more than he could have ever wanted. But here in the early light, he wanted Link. All of him.

Still curled around him, Rhett began to rock his hips slowly into Link, hoping to wake him gently into the same state he was in. He let his hand run down the side of Link’s body and was surprised to find him dressed in a t-shirt and sleep pants. He must have woken up cold in the middle of the night.

But Rhett usually woke if Link did when they camped. In such a tiny space, it was difficult not to disturb each other.

He hugged Link closer, hoping to warm him, in case he was still cold. 

Link began to stir, stretching his arms up. 

“Good morning,” Rhett said quietly. He was about to plant a kiss on Link’s cheek when Link pulled away.

“Geez, man, what are you doing?” Link pushed Rhett’s arms from him. But he wasn’t annoyed or angry. Just the usual “don’t touch me” act. “Usually I’m the one that ends up in a weird position.”

Rhett squirmed away, realizing that he, too, was dressed. 

“God damn it!” Rhett yelled. He unzipped the tent and stormed out awkwardly as he ducked through the opening. “Damn it!” he yelled again, pacing back and forth in front of the fire pit, he hands clenched into fists.

Link scrambled out and joined him, looking at his friend with confused, worried eyes. “Rhett, what the hell is wrong?”

Rhett stopped pacing and stood to face Link. He placed his big hands on Link shoulders and stared him down. “What did we do yesterday?”

Link tried to step back, but Rhett wouldn’t allow it. “What do you mean?”

“Tell me what we did. Everything.”

Link raised a hand and pushed up his glasses, which had slipped down his nose as Rhett practically shook him down.

“We hiked. Like we always do when we camp. We hiked way out into the woods and ended up at that waterfall. We ate lunch and swam a little bit, and we hiked back.”

Disappointment filled Rhett’s eyes, and he let out a sigh, dipping his head down. He took his hands back and crossed his arms, trying to hold himself, to hold in the pain forming in his chest. “That’s it?”

“Yeah,” Link said slowly. “I mean, we made a fire, made supper, watched the stars for a while. Then we went to bed. It was a good day. Relaxing. You were … you again.”

“And who am I, Link?” It came out angrier than he intended.

Rhett ran his hands through his hair. It stood up in every direction, going just as wild as his thoughts.

“You’re my best friend!” Link yelled back. “And I don’t know how to help you!”

Rhett dropped to his knees. His legs buckled, and he was down. He beat a fist into the dirt and huge dust clouds rose up around him. He roared wordlessly, and it echoed through the trees, shaking the very air around them.

He stopped, his arms limp at his sides. The dust settled, covering him with a fine layer of grit. 

Link, who had watched silently, letting his friend rage, sat down next to Rhett, for once disregarding the dirt and grime. Rhett looked to his friend, and there were tears forming in Link’s eyes.

“Help me understand,” Link said, choking on the words. “I can’t stand to see you hurting like this. But I have no idea what’s going on. You won’t talk to me. I can’t … I can’t do this with you. I can’t be who you need me to be if you won’t trust me.”

“Who I need you to be …” Rhett mumbled, laughing sadly. “That’s the thing. You are everything I need you to be.”

Link’s eyes were pleading. For as much pain as he was in, what hurt Rhett the most was knowing that he was hurting Link. He had to tell him. Had to tell him the truth, if he could even define what truth was. He took several deep breaths. He started and stopped again and again before he finally was able to get out words.

“Remember I was asking you about reality? Waking up in a different life?”

Link nodded, but didn’t interrupt.

“That’s what’s happening to me. I keep finding myself in a different reality. It’s the same, but different. And it keeps happening. I don’t know what’s going on with me anymore, Link. I don’t know who I am or what’s real. Or maybe … maybe it’s all real.”

Something struck Rhett that hadn’t before. A way to explain it all, something that made the pieces fall into place.

Rhett began to smile, just a small, hesitant smile, but the realization changed everything.

Link looked even more puzzled. “I don’t understand.”

Rhett got to his knees and took Link by one shoulder. “I think I know what’s going on!” he said. 

“Tell me!” Link said, but he still had doubt in his eyes. And something that looked like fear.

“Link. It’s the multiverse.” Rhett started gesturing wildly, his hands flying in all directions. “I think I’m … shifting. Shifting between this universe and another parallel universe. Yesterday, what you described? I experienced that. But different. Because that’s not all that happened.”

“What else happened?” Link asked. His eyebrows wrinkled in an expression Rhett knew well.

Rhett hesitated, but only for a moment. “A lot,” he finally said. “You and I are … well, we …” But then he couldn’t finish. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s real. This life is real, but so is that one.”

Rhett stood, and spun around, his long arms extended out. “It’s all real, Link!” he said, a huge smile crossing his face. He took a deep breath that refreshed him. “It’s all real.”

Forgetting for a moment that this Link was not the same Link as the one he knew so much more intimately, he rushed back to his friend and grabbed him by the waist, pulling him close and kissing him with passion, ecstasy of a different sort rushing through him.

For a moment, Link did nothing. But then he pushed Rhett away, and the look on his face was one Rhett had never seen before. It wasn’t disgust; it was more like bewilderment mixed with a hint of betrayal. 

“Is this a joke?” 

“No, man, it’s …”

“Because it’s not funny. We’re all worried about you, Rhett. I, me, your best friend, am worried about you. So much so that I haven’t slept in days. So if this is some long and convoluted practical joke, you can consider us …”

But Link didn’t finish the sentence. Rhett wasn’t sure where it was going, but he had a few guesses. Link was rarely angry like this, but when he was, it was serious. His face was red, his body stiff and taut with fury.

“It’s not a joke,” Rhett pleaded. “I promise. I would never … I would never do that to you.”

Link folded his arms. “So what? In this parallel universe we’re … what?”

“Together.”

“Together?”

“Married. At least, I think so.”

“And we … we do … we do … things … together.”

Rhett nodded slowly.

Link turned around, facing the trees. Rhett was desperate to see the look on his face, but Link needed time to process. 

When he finally turned around, Link walked to the car and opened the trunk. He started throwing everything into the car, the sleeping bags, the pillows, the backpacks, and then started taking down the tent, taking no care at all to pack it properly.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re going home, Rhett.”

“Why?”

Link stopped, the tent drooping, a pale shadow of the structure it had been just minutes ago, just like the friendship between the two of them. Rhett had broken whatever it was that held them together and kept them standing.

“I’m taking you home to Jessie. And then we’re taking you to a hospital.”

Rhett bolted to Link and took his hands, trying to send the feelings he had for his friend through his body and into Link’s. “Please,” he said, forcing Link to look at him. “I’m not crazy. I know what it sounds like, but this is happening. It’s happening to me. To us. I know you’re not experiencing it, but I am. And I … I love you.”

Link paused, and then pulled Rhett into an embrace. The feeling of Link’s arms willing wound around his body was the best thing Rhett had felt in days. 

“I love you more than anyone in the world, Rhett.”

Rhett sighed with relief, and his body relaxed into Link.

“But you need help.”

And with that, Link backed away, giving his friend one last look, and continued taking down the tent.

Rhett stumbled backward, tears running down his face in heavy sobs. His chest heaved and ached, and he could no longer stand. He collapsed, and cried bitterly until Link was finished. 

“Come on, brotha. Let’s go home.”

When they arrived at the McLaughlin house, Rhett sat on the couch, his legs curled into his chest. Link disappeared into the kitchen to find Jessie.

Rhett remained there, listening to them talking in the kitchen. He couldn’t hear their words, but he could hear Jessie crying and Link trying to comfort her. 

But he was numb. 

Everything had gone wrong. He’d ruined it all.

Unless he could get back there, back to the other place. Permanently. At least there, Link didn’t think he was sick. There, Link loved him, and they could love each other in peace. It would mean leaving Jessie and his kids behind. And that hurt in a way he couldn’t bear. But Link had been with him nearly his entire life. Leaving him behind would hurt in a way Rhett wouldn’t be able to survive.

Jessie emerged from the kitchen alone. She sat next to him on the couch, but he refused to look at her. 

“It’s going to be okay,” she said, rubbing his back. “We’re going to get you the help you need. Everything is going to be fine.” But her voice shook, betraying her belief in that statement.

When he finally turned his head, he saw that her eyes were red and makeup was streaked down her face.

He shut his eyes tight, and when he opened them, Link was there. 

“Come on,” Link said. “Just come with me. I promise you it’s going to be okay.” 

Rhett saw that Link was holding his hand. He squeezed it. “I love you, Link.”

Link kissed Rhett softly at the corner of his mouth. “I love you, too.” And then he pulled Rhett into his arms. Rhett closed his eyes again, reveling in the warmth and comfort of the embrace.

Feathery lips touched his cheek. “Link’s going to drive us,” Jessie said. Her perfume wafted into Rhett’s nose. 

He turned away, looking toward the door, and then turned back. 

Link was back.

“What’s happening to me?” Rhett screamed as he leapt from the couch.

“Link, call am ambulance!” Jessie yelled. Link emerged from the kitchen, cell phone in hand. 

As they both stood before him, his two realities side by side, Rhett felt something inside of his soul crack. He fell to his knees, and his voice faltered as he spoke. 

“Help me ...”


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Rhett’s bare feet dangled over the end of the hospital bed. But he didn’t care. He didn’t care about anything. He wasn’t hot or cold, nor happy or sad. He wasn’t anything.

Jessie and Link sat in chairs next to the bed, and a doctor sat next to them.

“It’s an unusual case,” the doctor said, speaking to Jessie. “Your husband is clearly suffering from some kind of delusions. But not in a way I’ve seen before.”

“What do you mean?” Jessie asked. Link was holding her hand, supporting her the way Rhett normally would, but no longer could. 

The doctor paused, searching for the words. “It’s similar to a dissociative identity disorder,” he began. “But usually that involves multiple people. Your husband, on the other hand, is only himself, but living different lives.”

“Are you saying he has multiple personalities?” Jessie asked, her voice fearful.

“I can’t say for sure,” the doctor said. “We’re going to have to do some intensive therapy. In the meantime, the medication will help keep him calm.”

Link looked to Rhett with sadness. As numb as he was, Rhett could still understand that Link was lost now. He and Rhett, regardless of the nature of their relationship, were two halves of a whole. Now they were broken in two.

Link spoke up. “Don’t multiple personalities usually result from abuse? Or some kind of trauma? Rhett’s never had anything like that happen. And this happened so suddenly. One day he was fine, and the next day ...”

“Abuse is often a precursor, yes,” the doctor said. “But not always. It could be some kind of repressed trauma. But again, this case is unusual. Anything is possible.”

Jessie and Link both nodded dumbly. The doctor assured them he would be in touch, and encouraged them to visit often. And then he was gone, leaving the three of them alone.

“What am I going to tell the kids?” Jessie asked, crying.

“That Daddy is sick and he needs time to get well,” Link said, holding Jessie. 

“What if he doesn’t?”

Link looked to Rhett, and for the briefest of moments, the two men locked eyes. 

“He will,” Link said. “He has to.”

Jessie cried for a while longer, and Link continued to hold her, but offered no more words of comfort. When her tears finally stopped, Link suggested she go get a cup of coffee. Jessie nodded, and left the room.

Alone at last, Link rested his arms on the railing of the bed, his head drooping sideways. He stayed there a long time.

“Damn it, Rhett,” he said after a long silence. “For the first time in my life, I don’t know what to do, and I can’t ask you to help me.”

He shook his head. Rhett said nothing, too drugged to find any words to say. 

Link stood after several minutes, and took Rhett’s hand. “I do love you,” he said. And then he bent over, and placed a brotherly kiss on Rhett’s forehead. “And I always will. Nothing will ever change that.”


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Epilogue 

Rhett’s bare feet dangled over the end of the hospital bed. But he didn’t care. He didn’t care about anything. He wasn’t hot or cold, nor happy or sad. He wasn’t anything.

Link and a doctor sat in the two chairs next to the bed.

“I just don’t understand,” Link said. “He thinks he’s married to a woman. He thinks he has kids. He kept asking for them. He doesn’t always remember that I’m his husband.”

“Your husband is clearly suffering from some kind of delusions. It appears to be similar to a dissociative identity disorder.”

“Multiple personalities?”

“Similar,” the doctor said. “But this is different. He isn’t living as multiple people. He’s living as two versions of himself. Usually, these types of delusions arise as the result of abuse or trauma. Has he had anything like that in his life?”

Link shook his head. “I’ve known him my whole life. Nothing like that has ever happened. And this happened out of the blue. Just a few days ago.”

There was a pause, and Link spoke again. “Is he going to get better?”

The doctor hesitated. “Treating multiple personalities traditionally involves integrating the different personas. As this is not a clear case, I am not sure exactly what therapeutic approach will be most effective.”

“So he might not.”

“Nothing is certain.”

Link took Rhett’s hand. “Get out,” he said, coldly, looking at Rhett not the doctor. 

“I apologize for being realistic, but …”

“Just get out,” Link repeated.

The doctor nodded and backed out of the room. Rhett stared up at Link with no expression on his face.

Link stood and leaned over Rhett, kissing him on the forehead, and then both cheeks, and finally leaving a firm kiss on his lips. A tear slid down his cheek and landed in Rhett’s beard. 

“Don’t leave me,” he begged, his voice quavering. “I don’t know how to exist without you. You have to come back to me.”

He sat again, collapsing into the chair. He grasped Rhett’s hand in his and squeezed, desperate to convey the only thing he could find to say. He spoke, but tears muffled the words. 

“I do love you,” he said. “And I always will. Nothing will ever change that.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed Down the Rabbit Hole, please share it with your friends. I'm on tumblr at https://www.tumblr.com/blog/whilhelminaprince
> 
> Thanks for your feedback and encouragement!


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